Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Guest Post - Quick and Easy Homemade White Bread (Debbie Baker Taylor) {UPDATED}

Today's guest post is from a very special woman in my life...
My Precious Daughter, Debbie Jo...the one who made me a first time mother,
and my Favorite Daughter (OK, yes, she IS my only one=)

I continue to learn many things from Deb and thank God for all she means in my life. 
She is the one who insisted I begin blogging. And she's the 'tech support' when I need something done at my blog too! =) She's mommy to my 3 youngest and precious grandchildren and a very busy gal.  

She's the author of her own blog...
Finding Grace & Glory in a messy life and continues to inspire me in
more ways than she'll ever know. 

I am always excited when she tries a challenging recipe....like some may feel this one is. 

It's all yours Deb Jo...

I have been blogging since 2006.  I have always loved to read and write, and prefer to use purple ink and college ruled paper.  I am a busy wife & mom, and work part-time at a pregnancy center, educating women about relationship choices.  I  write passionately about abortion, adoption, natural living, and growing in my relationship with Christ.  I hate washing dishes and find myself on the "martha" side more than I would like.  But I am finding Grace and Glory in a Messy Life and enjoy every cup of coffee I can get!


Onto the recipe...
*There is NO baking powder in this recipe.  It was included in the directions,
but is NOT an ingredient.  Sorry about that!!!  Deb

Baking yeast bread is somewhat of a science.  It actually requires accurate measurement, fresh ingredients, and reliable tools.  Some people avoid yeast bread baking altogether because it seems harder than it has to be.  Or maybe you are like me, and you simply don't have time (or energy) to make fresh bread on a regular basis.  

My family loves bread and we also want to improve the food we eat, the quality of ingredients, and work on changing the foods we consume.  After searching the net for something simple to try at home, I think I discovered the perfect recipe and kinda adapted it for my family! 



It's Easy.  It's Fast.  And it's really delicious! 

  

Quick & Easy Homemade White Bread

Ingredients


    1 cup warm water (warm, not hot)

    2 1/2 tsp instant yeast

    2 Tbsp (lightly pressed) brown sugar 

   2 3/4 cup flour 

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/4 cup oil



Instructions



    Add yeast and brown sugar to warm water, stir, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix the flour, oil, and salt in large mixing bowl. When yeast mixture is ready, stir into dry ingredients with a fork until it begins to form into a ball.

Dump the bowl contents onto a lightly floured surface and begin kneading it (push the heel of your hand into the dough, pull the upper edge towards you, give it a quarter turn, and then pull the upper edge towards you, push the heel of your hand into the dough and give it a quarter turn. REPEAT). Continue to knead the dough until soft and elastic (about 5 minutes). 

In another bowl, spray with nonfat cooking spray and put ball of dough into greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with towel and set in warm place for 45 minutes (i warmed my oven, turned it off and let the dough rise inside with the oven light on).

Remove from oven, punch dough down and lightly knead for 1 minute. Spray a 9" loaf pan with nonfat cooking spray and shape dough into loaf. Plop into the pan and return to oven, covered with a towel, and allow to rise 30 minutes.


Take pan out of oven and set aside while you preheat the oven to 350. Place pan in oven and bake 35-40 minutes. Rub butter over the warm top after you pull it from the oven. Allow to rest in pan for 5-10 minutes, and then cool on wire rack. 

Notes

*I would encourage you to use COCONUT OIL in this recipe.  Coconut oil gives this bread an amazingly soft texture - not fall apart in your hands soft, but soft like bread-store bread, and does NOT leave a coconutty flavor. I LOVE baking bread with coconut oil.  I have used other oils with this, but coconut oil is by far the best!

*Feel free to substitute honey for the brown sugar, and use your favorite flour blends (whole wheat, white whole wheat, etc.) to the maximum flour measurement.  I have only ever used a blend, not whole wheat alone, and it has had a lovely texture.

Baking a good loaf of yeast bread does not have to be complicated or require a whole day.  There is something about feeling the warm dough becoming more pliable in your hands that is satisfying and there is nothing like that fresh-baked smell of bread to delight your family.

Thanks Debber for sharing this yummy recipe....

Linked to Weekend Potluck


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Sunday, February 16, 2014

Chicken Pillows Extraordinaire

These lovely yummy tasty scrumptious chicken pillows are seriously delicious.

I've had the recipe for some time, just waiting for the perfect time to make them to share.


I am also soo in love with the name of this tasty dish...Pillows! =)
(I added the Extraordinaire because they're soo delicious!)

It happened since we've been vacationing in Florida! Our friends loved them and wanted the recipe, so I decided to get it on the blog soon, so you can enjoy them too.


We were thrilled...to say the least...to be eating dinner outside just after they'd gotten 9" of snow back home in Ohio....

Was thrilled to find this variation of my Amazing Chicken Squares (that's in my first cookbook) at Mommy on Demand

I adapted this recipe numerous ways, but I think the biggest change was using garlic butter crescent rolls instead of original.  It added a perfect touch of garlic.

Try these, you're sure to love them.  And the sauce over the top after baking makes them extra wonderful.  The 6 of us ate 14 of the 16 made in this recipe. M-M-More please!  *-*


(hover over image to pin) 

CHICKEN PILLOWS 

2 - 1/2 - 3 c. diced or shredded chicken breast
(can boil, bake or use rotisserie chicken) 
1 (8 ozs) pkg. (lite) cream cheese, softened 
3 Tb. butter, melted, divided
2 cans (8 count each) crescent rolls 
(we loved the garlic butter ones)
fresh ground pepper to taste
(we like garlic pepper - Watkins) 
3/4 - 1 c. panko crumbs 
(could use crushed croutons or italian bread crumbs)

Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup, divided
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
(I used co-jack)
1/4 c. Greek yogurt
(or sour cream)
up to 2 Tb. milk, depending on how thick you want the sauce 

Preheat oven to 350*. 

In large bowl, combine chicken with cream cheese, and 1 Tb. of melted  butter. (I also added a heaping spoonful of cream of chicken soup to this mixture also...it's totally optional). I stir this by hand. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. 

Open crescent rolls, pressing on the widest part of each to spread out before adding about 3 Tb. chicken on the wide side. Bring up sides around the chicken, then pull the long 'tail' of the roll over the top; pressing  all seams together to seal. 

Place remaining melted butter in small dish and panko crumbs in another. 

Dip tops of rolls in melted butter, then into panko crumbs, then lay side by side in an ungreased 9" X 13" baking dish. 

Bake about 13 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

While rolls are baking, heat remaining chicken soup along with shredded cheese in small saucepan. When warm, stir in Greek yogurt (or sour cream), along with milk until desired consistency is reach.  Serve over top of baked 'pillows'. 


Linked to 
       Weekend Potluck
     Kitchen Thyme
      Meal Plan Monday


Yield: 16 pillows 

If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy this 
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole






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​  

Friday, February 14, 2014

Ooey Gooey German Chocolate Bars & Weekend Potluck #105


WELCOME TO OUR VALENTINE WEEKEND POTLUCK! 

AND...

When I share something worth sharing...again 

This irresistible treat is one of my very favorites.
Only FIVE ingredients to whip up this amazing chocolate bar.
(including a cake mix and a tub of coconut-pecan frosting!!) 
What a great way to show someone you love them by mixing up this easy 
and luscious dessert! 



AND A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU TOO! 

This is my very favorite holiday. May you enjoy a sweet day from beginning to end. I have never believed this special day was just for sweethearts.  We all have someone beloved in our lives...Whether it's a parent or sibling, a cousin or friend - Take time to let someone know you love and care about them this holiday. 
Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~


Recipes that caught our attention ~


Valentine Popcorn Snack Mix by Made from Pinterest

And, a personal favorite ~


Chicken Cordon Bleu (Super Simple) by Faith Filled Food for Moms

Your hostesses ~

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.
  1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
  2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional videoPlease use a direct link within your post.
When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Almond Joy Fudgies (& Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe too)

A special recipe from my archives....

I love chocolate...and coconut...AND almonds too! 

So of course when I saw this wonderful recipe it jumped right out at me, into my lap, and into my tummy.

I am loving soooo many recipes I find at Grandma Loy's Kitchen,
that I knew I could trust this one being great because all her recipes are.

These have a chocolate base and topping with a 'macaroon' filling - oh soo yummy! It's a decadent dessert, and perfect for Valentine's Day!

Loy found it in a Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbook, and she tweaked the recipe a bit and decided to rename them. 

I think the name describes them perfectly.


click here for my 'homemade' recipe...

I get excited just looking at this!=)

(I can testify to the fact this recipe really works!
I'm amazed at the likeness in consistency to store purchased sweetened condensed milk...I even make it using sugar and mostly xylitol.)

You can make it low fat by using 2% evaporated milk and less butter, or fat free by using ff evap. milk and no butter.

It's wonderful!  So that's a 'bonus' recipe in this post.

And since this recipe calls for half a can (about 2/3 c.) of
sweetened condensed milk, you can have enough for another batch.

I LOVE that this condensed milk lasts in the fridge for 2 weeks and can be frozen up to 6 months. 

What an awesome thing to have handy during the holidays, wouldn't you say????

This would make a wonderful addition to any holiday plate of cookies and treats. 

The recipe calls for topping the baked cookies with chocolate chips, but they were plenty sweet for us without it.  I suggest you do that if you want to 'impress' or dress up these yummy bars.


ALMOND JOY FUDGIES

1-1/4 c. butter or margarine
2/3 c. baking cocoa
2 c. sugar (I used 1-1/2 successfully)
1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling:

2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk
2-1/2 c. flaked coconut
1 t. almond extract
1/2 c. toasted, sliced almonds

FILLING: In mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut and almond extract. Mix well


Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" X 13" pan well. Melt butter and cocoa together in a saucepan over low heat or in glass bowl in microwave.  Remove from heat. 

Add sugar, eggs, flour, salt and vanilla.  Mix well. Spread half of chocolate mixture in prepared pan. Prepare filling and spoon evenly over chocolate batter.  Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over filling. 

Spread remaining chocolate batter evenly over filling. Bake 35 - 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Place back into oven for 1- 2 minutes until chocolate chips soften and begin to melt.  Spread chocolate over the top of the brownies.  Allow to cool completely.  Cut into 36 bars.

Linked to Spring Link Party




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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

3 Special Valentine's Day Brownie Treats {Blast from the Past}

This luscious layered brownie begins with a mix & also has 'lighter options'.
A ROYAL treat for Valentine's Day Kings & Queens! 

Extreme Brownies Supreme



Made from scratch brownies - with added chocolate syrup.
What's not to love????

Hershey's Best Brownies



Only four ingredients (+ ingredients to bake brownie mix).
Simple, delicious and simply delicious.  Such an easy way to dress
up a brownie mix!!






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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Guest Post - Skinny Oreo Chocolate Shake (Holly Lofthouse)

I am just elated to get to share one of my favorite blogging buds with you today.  I am SO proud of Holly's many accomplishments.  Not only is she a Taste of Home Field Editor...she recently signed a contract with General Mills to be a recipe creator for Pillsbury! 

WOOOOHOOO!!! 

I do believe Holly and I are Sisters of the Taste Buds.  We cook much the same dishes too...simple and delicious. I flipped when I saw this recipe and am delighted Holly agreed to share it with my fans.

Enjoy every awesome sip!

Take it away Holly Dear....


 Hi everyone! My name is Holly Lofthouse, and I'm the girl behind the scenes at Life in the Lofthouse (http:life-in-the-lofthouse.com) I am honored that Marsha asked me to guest post today. I have been following her blog for years now! Not only do I love her recipes, but I love her! What a sweet lady and friend I have made in the food blog world!


  I started my food blog in September 2010, and have enjoyed every minute of it! My blog is all about easy and delicious family-friendly recipes. I have 3 gorgeous kids and 1 amazing husband. I love to cook! Being in my kitchen is therapeutic to me! Along with cooking, I also work outside the home as a full-time surgery scheduler for Ear Nose and Throat Doctors. Needless to say, my life is hectic most days!

  With working outside the home, I still want to feed my family homemade food. I know there are many other Mothers out there in my boat, so my blog is for you! If you feel too tired after coming home from a long day at work it's still possible to feed your family home-cooked meals! I have a lot of recipes that are under 30 minutes. I hope you'll come check out my blog for some new and easy recipe ideas!
  Along with the quick family-friendly meals, I also have tons of quick desserts, too! Like these ~Skinny Oreo Shakes~ I'm sharing today! These babies are so delicious and lower in calories and fat compared to a regular oreo shake! Click on to the link below to get the recipe!

skinny-oreo-shakes-main


   Thanks again Marsha for having me guest post today! ♥


And thank YOU Miz Holly!! I have no doubt this recipe is going to be a 
huge hit!




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Monday, February 10, 2014

Triple Fudge Brownies (4 simple ingredients!)


A simply delicious and amazingly easy recipe.

Combine pudding mix with milk, stir in the dry cake mix, then add chocolate chips.

E-Z P-Z!!! 

Perfect for Valentine's Day celebrations! 

..And for company.  No electric mixer needed...stir it by hand!

And ONLY FOUR INGREDIENTS! 

GO.FOR.IT!!!

(hover over photo to pin) 

TRIPLE FUDGE BROWNIES

1 (4 serv. size) pkg. instant (sugar free) chocolate pudding mix
2 c. milk
1 (18 ozs) pkg. (50% reduced sugar) chocolate cake mix
1 - 2 c. semisweet or milk chocolate chips
powdered sugar for garnish, optional 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9" X 13" pan. Set aside. 
(The ones in lower photo were baked in 10" X 15" sheet cake pan. 

In medium bowl, prepare pudding and milk according to pkg. directions. Whisk in cake mix; stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan.  Bake 
25 - 30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.  

When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  Serve warm with ice cream (and fudge ice cream topping, if you can't resist!) 

Linked to Weekend Potluck


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Sunday, February 9, 2014

Simple Jello Poke Cake

While this is a simple recipe, it's a very popular one with the folks I hang out with. 

Makes for an easy dessert and can be made ahead too.  Perfect for
Valentine's Day! 

I made this recently for overnight company, and they BOTH told me they went to bed thinking about this cake! 

Normally I use a white or yellow cake mix, though I've made a 'black forest' cake using chocolate cake mix and cherry jello...MMMM!

But I had a strawberry cake on hand, so I also used strawberry jello.  My company said it tasted like strawberry shortcake



And I LOVE that you can use a sugar free cake mix, jello & Cool Whip, 
if need be. (Lite Cool Whip has very little sugar in it)

Or you could use this easy recipe for 3-ingredient 7-Up Cake to lighten a regular cake mix. You could also mix a box of instant pudding with 1-1/2 c. milk and use as a topping (mix some cool whip into if desired).

LOTS of options here! 

And did I mention?....A lovely...yes, VERY lovely treat for your favorite Valentine!...sugar or no sugar.


JELLO POKE CAKE 

1(18 ozs) box cake mix, any flavor
ingredients for mixing cake
1 sm.(4 serv.) box (sugar free) red jello
(any color/flavor is fine)
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. cold water
1 (8 ozs) container frozen whipped topping, thawed 

Mix and bake cake according to box instructions, baking in a 9" X 13" baking pan. Cool about 30 minutes. After removing cake from oven, I mix the jello and boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. 
Let stand until ready to use. 

Using a large pronged fork, poke holes evenly over the top of the cooled cake.  Pour jello over cake, filling all the 'holes' as you go. Refrigerate 2 hours. 

Frost with whipped topping; garnish with fresh fruit 
(to match your jello flavor, if desired). Store covered in the fridge. 


Linked to 
Meal Plan Monday



If you like this moist cake recipe, you'll probably love this one too..
Mom's Favorite Granny (Pineapple) Cake




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Friday, February 7, 2014

French Cheese Bread & Weekend Potluck #104

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK! 
(I am so happy to be back with y'all this week!)

AND...

Where I share something worth sharing...again 

This spread is simple to mix and can also be made ahead. 
Could make a great 'meatless' meal. 





Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~

Recipes that caught our attention ~


Creme Brûlée Cheesecake Bars by Kitty's Kozy Kitchen

Your hostesses ~

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.
  1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
  2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. (Need help linking back? Read this or watch this great instructional videoPlease use a direct link within your post.
When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!



Please use the title of your recipe in the name/description box. Please understand that by linking up, you are granting us permission to use one photo of your recipe with an appropriate link back should your recipe be featured. Thank you for linking up!


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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

3 Favorite (Sweet) Breakfasts {Blast from the Past}

You'll be amazed at how simple this recipe is.
It begins with frozen rolls and can be made ahead 
up to 2 days in advance! 






This is definitely a favorite! I love that it is made ahead to refrigerate overnight too. 




Fabulous!  Using my two favorite ingredients - cream cheese & crescent rolls - folks will be asking for more....and for this coffeecake recipe too.  My mouth waters just to think of this tasty dish. 





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